


Don’t Cry For Me

by niftykeen



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Death, Grief, Humanity, Immortality, Sons, fathers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-05
Updated: 2019-10-05
Packaged: 2020-11-24 03:16:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20900750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/niftykeen/pseuds/niftykeen
Summary: Greg asks Steven a very important question.





	Don’t Cry For Me

**Author's Note:**

> Happy to post for the first tim here. I usually write for comics, so I am more accustomed to describing things more like a storyboard. 
> 
> Next draft I will either illustrate it, or fill in the description. Let me know which!
> 
> This wrecked me. Sorry to do that to you too.
> 
> This takes place after Steven Universe: The Movie.

(Greg’s finger clicking the cell phone send button).  
(Greg’s face tilted down. From the front, holding his guitar. The eyes are in shadow.)  
(Steven is sitting on his bed playing a video game with Lion beside him.)  
(The cell phone in his pants pocket buzzes and plays his loud ringtone.)  
Steven: (He drops the controller.) “Whoa.” (Game over music plays). “Aw, now I died.”  
(Clicks to read the message).  
(Reaches over to pet Lion while reading with one hand.)  
Steven: “Hey, buddy, can you take me to my Dad?  
(Shot of Greg from the back with the van to the side, sitting on the edge of the cliff overlooking the city, playing guitar.)  
(Steven arrives popping out of a portal on Lion).  
(He stops with Greg sitting on the edge of the cliff, still sitting with his back to him, looking out over the city.)  
Steven: Hey Dad. What’s with the text? You all right?  
(Greg doesn’t turn around.)  
Greg: Hey schtuball, can you come a sit for a minute?  
Steven: (Mid sit) Daaaad, you’re making me nervous. What is it?  
(Greg Still not looking, still clutching the guitar).  
Greg: Look, Steven, we have been though some scary stuff lately. I was kidnapped and put into a human zoo, I was trapped in a house that collapsed around me, my arm was, well, destroyed by that toxic injector poison...  
Steven: I’m sorry Dad! But I fixed it, I made it all right again! Is that what this is? Is your arm doing all right? I can try again, we can try something else. Let me take a look...( Steven reaches for his hand).  
Greg: Hold on there Schtuball, that’s not it. (Hoods out his hands and wiggles his fingers). Good as new. Better than ever, actually. There was a touch of stiffness in the wrist, and some tendonitis long before that are completely gone, but...  
Steven: Whew! I’m so glad! Dad that’s great!  
Greg: No! It’s not, that’s...I mean, it is great, but, I am not getting any younger, and that exactly why I asked you to talk. Steven, I’m going to die.  
Steven: (Freaked out look)  
Greg: Someday! And when I do, I don’t want you to cry for me. I need you to promise me that you won’t cry for me.  
Steven: What are you saying? Dad, that’s ridiculous. Is something wrong? Don’t talk like that, you’re scaring me. Whatever it is, we can fix it.  
Greg: No! I mean, no, nothing new is wrong right now at all. Since you fixed my arm I’ve been feeling great, that’s not what I mean, I mean. Jeez, I knew this would be hard. Steven, you’re half gem, and you’re my son, and I love you.  
Steven: Then stop talking like this! Stop it! Just stop it!   
Greg: No, Steven, this is important. Listen, being by your side, and supporting you when you need me there, is my world. I’m grateful for your healing powers. But Steven, your father is a human; I’m just a regular full human with no gem powers. I can’t go where you’re going. Changing is part of the human story, and part of changing is aging, and so is (pause, tears welling) dying.  
Steven: (Stevens stricken face) We don’t have to think about that now, Dad, it’s a long way off. I...  
Greg: That is exactly why I want to talk about this now, why we have to talk about this now. Steven, when I said I don’t want you to cry for me, I don’t mean that you won’t grieve for me. What I mean is, what I’m asking you is, when the time comes someday, and hopefully still a long way off...I’m asking you to let me go.  
Steven: (Desperate sound) Dad!  
Greg: (Almost shouting now) I don’t want magic hair and I don’t want to live forever! (A step back in volume) I love being alive and I love being with you. But I have had a chance more than most humans to to think about what it means to be one. Kiss my aches and pains away all you want, but I am asking you - I am telling you - Let me be a human. When the day comes, I need you to remember and I need you to promise me that you will keep your tears away from me and let me go.  
Steven: (Barely audible) How can you ask me that? (Stevens erupts into sobs, and then crunches down into himself clenching his fists, every muscle tight. Greg face tightens in the same way, he leans over Steven, patting his hair and his back, as Steven’s body is racked with sobs, while Greg gently weeps into Steven’s hair).  
(Wiped our and drained, Steven pulls back. His face is tipped down and his eyes are in darkness, but the tracks of tears are still visible. Lion sneaks up under Stevens weak dangling hand. Steven looks down at Lion’s face, as Lion looks up at him with a knowing sympathetic look). 

(Suddenly Steven pictures the image of his mother surrounded by Lion’s pack family. They all turn away from his view and keep walking away as the other lions fade away one by one leaving only Rose and Lion walking. Rose turns briefly to Lion and caresses his face. We see her profile as she too fades from view. Lion is left standing alone.)

Steven: Oh, Lion... (The weeping returns, in now silent streams, and Steven buries his face in Lion’s mane).

(As gradually his weeping is spent, Steven silently reaches over and takes Greg’s face in his hand, memorizing, just staring for a moment into his tear stained face. He looks straight into his father’s eyes, which are full of love and concern. Steven’s eyes widen. He drops his hand and looks down, now only gripping his father’s pointer finger in his hand, like a small child.)

(Steven squeezes the finger, and then lets go. He wipes his face with his sleeve, removing the tears. He looks up, drained and sad, but dry-eyed and resigned.)

A final blank panel has no image and only two words:

“I promise.”


End file.
